


hanging by your threads

by kogaritsu



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Established Relationship, M/M, disclaimer: i have only done lyra i am no trapeze artist, mao juggles!, my illicit love affair w run on sentences rears its ugly head once more, puts on my clown wig, spiderman kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 12:21:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18916882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kogaritsu/pseuds/kogaritsu
Summary: Yuzuru’s performance was beautiful on its own, Mao had a wonderful time watching him flaunt his talents, but seeing it so closely was an experience on its own. The overhead light, harsh and newly replaced was plenty bright enough to showcase every contour of his face, adding to the sight by painting dramatic shadows across Yuzuru’s face. He was, in that moment, a spectacle of fantasy, a striking angel that sought to drag Mao home to the heavens and further.





	hanging by your threads

**Author's Note:**

> circus music begins to play at 74% bass

“Hands up here,” Yuzuru guided Mao’s hands carefully, “And refrain from letting go. I may not be able to catch you in time.”

His tone was light, teasing even, as his calloused palms pressed Mao’s fingers to cling tightly to the cool metal ring he was sat in the curve of. It hemmed and hawed as Yuzuru spun it in a few slow circles, straightening to his full height to split the rop it hung from. As Mao twirled around, he took a few steps away, tugging his half of the rope free. Then he returned, keeping the loose side behind him. Mao let go of the ring to steal Yuzuru’s free hand from his side, kissing his knuckles and tugging him even closer. Lithe as the rest of him, Yuzuru’s forefinger slipped from of Mao’s hand to tap the tip of his nose. In retaliation, Mao tipped his head back to kiss Yuzuru’s finger as well.

“Behave, Mao-san.” Yuzuru’s tone remained teasing, on the edge of a chuckle, “I’m going up now, do be patient.”

“Are you the only thing keeping us down right now?” Mao’s knees bent as the ring got closer to the ground.

“I am.” Yuzuru ceased the additional pressure when the hoop touched the floor, walking his hands up the length of the rope.

Mao nodded, readjusting to keep a tight grip on the metal. He’d watched Yuzuru mount and dismount the equipment plenty of times, knowing that as soon as the necessary pressure was gone, the hoop would shoot upwards like a rocket. That being said, Yuzuru typically went up either alone or with Tori, and Mao knew too little about how his added weight would affect the speed at which they rose. Were he not a man prone to distraction the presence of beautiful trapeze artists, he would have asked Yuzuru beforehand.

“Hold on tight, please, and lock your knees once you’re off the ground.” Stepping along the sides of Mao’s legs, Yuzuru smiled down benevolently, “We’ll be rising momentarily.”

Pulling the rope a final time and jumping with the momentum, he boosted himself onto the top of the hoop, toes pointing for balance as it rocked. He didn’t need to balance for long, however, as hoop and both persons hitching a ride on it soared toward the rafters. The trip up stole all oxygen from Mao’s lungs, leaving him wide eyed and gritting his teeth in preparation for a fall that didn’t happen. They came to a stop within a few very long seconds, to Mao’s delight, pendulating in the open space. In the moment it took him to realize that looking up would show him a new view of Yuzuru’s act, Yuzuru had reoriented himself to hang upside down a foot over the top of the hoop. 

His body was suspended in part by the loose side of the rope, left leg extended behind him and right leg curled above it to keep him stationary. One hand remained on the taut rope, but the other reached out to Mao, centimeters from caressing his cheek. With just one movement of his leg and a hook of two fingers against the side of the hoop, they were spinning in leisurely circles again. Locking his knees kept Mao in place, just as Yuzuru had said, and enabled him to tip back a little and gawk at the sight before him. It made him wish he was part of the performance himself, but he knew that sitting in a metal ring while his boyfriend did all the work was hardly a performance. Mao fit better behind the scenes.

Yuzuru’s performance was beautiful on its own, Mao had a wonderful time watching him flaunt his talents, but seeing it so closely was an experience on its own. The overhead light, harsh and newly replaced was plenty bright enough to showcase every contour of his face, adding to the sight by painting dramatic shadows across Yuzuru’s face. He was, in that moment, a spectacle of fantasy, a striking angel that sought to drag Mao home to the heavens and further. As they twisted, Yuzuru relaxed his left leg, dropping down to be just past nose-to-nose with Mao. His face was curved into a wide, unrestrained smile that made Mao’s heart flutter like a runaway hummingbird. 

“I love you.” He uttered, breathless and feeling a bit like an exposed nerve.

“And I, you, dearest.” Yuzuru finally touched him with a cool hand, fingertips dragging down Mao’s flushed cheek.

Was it safe for Mao to rock forward? Certainly not. He did rock forward, though, and he did find himself clinging to the edge of the hoop as he tipped until his mouth hit Yuzuru’s. It wasn’t a very romantic or amorous, but it didn’t really need to be, as any kiss shared forty feet off the ground was already leagues more interesting than any other kisses they’d shared. It wasn’t all that hard for it to be better; most of their time spent together was during shows and any other time they had was usually spent hiding from the lion tamer. Alone time is difficult to find when you live and travel with nearly fifty people, after all. 

“Would you like to see more?” The words were somewhat lost to the surface of Mao’s mouth, but he heard them just fine. He did take the hint to sit back some, though, tightening his grip on the metal hoop once more. 

“You don’t have to, this all seems so exhausting,” Mao watched him pull himself back up, moving up the taut length of rope until he was high enough to reorient again. 

“Juggle for me and I’ll be happy as a clam.” Yuzuru’s voice echoed off the wall, sounding so close and yet to far away.

“Juggling doesn’t really compare, does it?” Still gazing up at him, Mao sighed in contentment, “I’ll do it, of course, but there’s no grace or anything in juggling like there is in all of this stuff.”

“Well,” Yuzuru was horizontal now, back arched to stay in place, “I believe anything you do is as beautiful, if not more, than the art of swinging from the ceiling in tight-fitting clothes.”

“Don’t put it like that, you’re amazing.” Were he not a good twenty feet away, Mao would absolutely try to reach for him again. 

Instead of replying, Yuzuru extended his arms and straightened his legs, spinning as he slid back down the ropes. Mao could have screamed with how akin to free falling it looked, but the rope secured around Yuzuru’s waist was clearly visible. To his surprise, Yuzuru landed right on top of his legs, hanging onto the hoop to remain steady. He pulled himself to sit up, hooking an arm around Mao’s waist and pressing a kiss to his temple. It was oh so very clear that he was in element up there, comfortable and confident in his every move. The hoop tottered under Yuzuru’s added weight, but he seemed wholly unbothered. Something about the way he landed put a stop to their spinning, allowing Mao to regain his bearings some. 

“Is this safe?” Mao didn’t dare let go, but he wished he could hold Yuzuru too. Perhaps when he feet could touch the ground. 

“You’re always safe with me.” Yuzuru pecked his lips, “I’d never let you fall.”

With the loose side of the rope wrapped securely around his wrist, Yuzuru pushed off again, swinging in wide circles. The grace from before was back with a vengeance as he moved his feet like he was walking on the air beneath them. His face was alight with joy, hair blown back from his face and free arm reaching out to wiggle his fingers at Mao. This was, quite obviously, not his most professional performance. Mao found that he liked this version, musicless and unpredictable, better, if only because he could hear Yuzuru giggling and humming the song to himself. It felt more intimate to witness him this way. 

He didn’t notice at first that Yuzuru’s movements were slowly taking them to the floor at first, way too enthralled by the subtle movements it took for him to soar so beautifully. As they descended, however, Mao did let his grip slacken some, relaxing at the thought of a lower altitude. The ground hardly snuck up on him, scuffing the bottoms of his shoes as he stopped. Yuzuru twisted to prevent hitting the ground with his bare feet, flipping to hang upside down again. His position this time wasn’t as intricate, but Mao appreciated it nonetheless, admiring the curve of his spine and concentrated furrow of his brow. 

“So, how many boys have you taken up there?” Mao escaped the metal ring as soon as it stopped, eyes still trained on Yuzuru.

Yuzuru slowed himself down, flipping over once more to dismount and plant his feet on the ground so he could actually stop. His dismount was a gorgeous and impressive as always, and Mao suppressed the urge to clap for him. Instead, he went to Yuzuru, resting one hand on the small of his back and the other on the back of his wrist. A healing rope burn extended across the center of his palm, agitated by their galavanting in the rafters. Mao dipped his head to kiss it, smiling against the friction warmed skin as if love would ease the pain. And it did, as tender love an care was nature’s placebo. 

“Thank you for showing me that.” He leaned into Yuzuru, closing his eyes.

“It was my pleasure, though I believe you owe me a juggling session,” Yuzuru held Mao close, swaying back and forth.

“Yeah, okay.” Mao laughed against his neck.

“Yeah, okay.” Yuzuru parroted, releasing him and stepping away to put away his equipment. Mao buffered for a moment, before following behind him.

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  thanks arete


End file.
